Barry Bradley’s Old Newspaper Clippings

Throughout his career in the Force (1960 – 1995), Veteran Barry Bradley developed a newspaper scrapbook containing notable news stories about the RCMP in British Columbia.

Each week, we will post two or three of these old newspaper clippings for the interest of Veterans and their families. For this week’s webpage, Barry selected several RCMP related articles which appeared int he British Columbian newspaper.

Old photograph looking down Peterson Hill in Surrey, BC.

Jury Urges Divider For Peterson Hill (1962) –

NEW WESTMINSTER – A coroner’s jury recommended Monday that a cement divider be constructed on the Peterson Hill section of Trans Canada Highway.

The jury made the recommendation as a rider to a verdict of accidental death at the inquest on RCMP Constable Archie Lepine (Reg. #21512), 24, of the Patullo Bridge detachment.

Lepine died in Royal Columbian Hospital five days after his motorcycle ran broadside into a sedan delivery truck making a left turn on to Ravine Road, off Trans-Canada Highway about 12.20 a.m. July 15. He suffered a fractured skull, brain damage and a collapsed lung.

The accident occurred on a dark night about halfway up Peterson Hill, while Const. Lepine was en route to the Whalley detachment office, little more than a mile away.

In its verdict, the jury said no blame could be attached to anyone.

The jury said in the rider that it felt similar accidents on Peterson Hill could be avoided if the cement divider now ending at Sandell Road was extended up the hill to Ferguson Road traffic light in Whalley.

The jury also urged more publicity be given the law against crossing over a double white line on a highway, and also suggested that police use automobiles instead of motorcycles at night.

RCMP Officer Found Shot In Ontario –

(April 6, 1963) KIRKLAND LAKE – Cpl. Kenneth Parker (Reg.# 14603), 28, head of the RCMP detachment here, was found shot at death behind his locked office door here.  Foul play is not suspected.

Const. Ronald Holmes found the officer’s body after checking the office when he saw Cpl. Parker’s care parked outside the office.  He had been shot through the chest with his own service revolver.

RCMP official here said they thought the shooting was an accident.  An autopsy and an inquest will e held later this week.

Born in High River Alta., he was with the Lethbridge police department for five years before joining the RCMP in July 1943.  He came to Kirkland July 1, 1961.

He leaves his wife, three sons and a daughter.

Judge OKs Appeal By RCMP Officer –

(1966 – 1967) – County Court Judge Graham Ladner has allowed the appeal of a Powell River RCMP officer against a conviction for assaulting a man with a flashlight.

The judge said today he had no hesitation in allowing the appeal of Constable Lynn Kendel (Reg.# 23861) against a charge laid by Harold Lennox, 24, of Westview, who alleged Kendel used excessive force against him last July 30.

“Under the circumstances … I  can’t understand how there was a conviction in the first instance,” the judge said.

Kendel had been fined $100 by Magistrate E.E. Winch, who ruled that Kendel was not justified in using his flashlight.

In a lengthy judgement, Judge Ladner said:

“I would like to say it is most regrettable this constable should have been put in this hazard, and most regrettable that he be put to the expense of this defence.

I have no hesitation in accepting the whole of his evidence and he acted thoroughly and properly under all circumstances and stress in an explosive situation.

Kendel testified he retaliated with the flashlight when Lennox touched him while he was investigation a traffic incident in the early hours of July 27.

The constable said he had pursued a car at high speeds and caught up to it after the driver had turned out its lights.

Kendel said he had scuffled with Lennox after the latter obstructed him while he was questioning the driver of the car.

RCMP CAR LOOTED (March 1963) –

A prowler forced a no draft window on a Royal Canadian Mounted Police care parked in the 400 block Columbia overnight and escaped with two pairs of binoculars and a hat.

AN ALCOHOLIC – Trafficker ‘Like Baby With Gun’

(1962) – An alcoholic who sold goof-balls to an RCMP undercover agent was described by his lawyer Wednesday as a baby with a loaded gun.

Ian Grant, 47, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to trafficking in a controlled drug, tuinal, to RCMP Constable James Hunt in May.

Lawyer Richard Bird told Magistrate Lorne Jackson that Grant’s crime was ‘committed in the grey zone of alcoholism.”

Bird contended Grant didn’t know what the effects of tuinal tablets would be.  He had obtained them on a doctor’s prescription through the city welfare department, said the lawyer.

‘It was like a babe being given a loaded gun,’ Bird.  Grant was remanded to Sept. 25 for sentence.